films_tv_shows_and_wildlifefandomcom-20200216-history
Flying Scotsman (character)
Flying Scotsman *'Number': 4472, formerly 1472, 502, 103 and 60103 *'Class': LNER A3 "Pacific", originally LNER A1 "Pacific" *'Designer': Sir Nigel Gresley *'Builder': LNER Doncaster Works *'Built': February 1923, rebuilt 1947 *'Retired': 14th January 1963 *'Restored': 1968, 1996, 2016 *'Configuration': 4-6-2 *'Top Speed': 100 mph Flying Scotsman, an LNER Class A3 4-6-2, is the last of Gordon's brothers. He is also the cousin of Spencer, Mallard, Green Arrow and Flying Thistle. He holds the records for being the first engine to officially run at 100 mph in 1934 and having the longest non-stop run for a steam engine, which was 442 miles/711 kilometres non-stop while on tour in Australia in 1989. History Flying Scotsman was completed in 1923, construction having been started under the auspices of the Great Northern Railway. He was built as an A1, initially carrying the number 1472. Flying Scotsman was something of a flagship locomotive for the LNER. He represented the company at the British Empire Exhibition at Wembley in 1924 and 1925. At this time he acquired his name and the new number of 4472. From then on he was commonly used for promotional purposes. With a suitably modified valve gear, he was one of five Gresley Pacifics selected to haul the prestigious non-stop Flying Scotsman train service from London to Edinburgh, hauling the inaugural train on May 1st, 1928. For this, the locomotives ran with a new version of the large eight-wheel tender which held nine tons of coal. This and the usual facility for water replenishment from the water trough system enabled them to travel the 631 kilometres from London to Edinburgh in eight hours non-stop. The tender included a corridor connection and tunnel through the water tank giving access to the locomotive cab from the train in order to allow replacement of the driver and fireman without stopping the train. The following year he appeared in the film "The Flying Scotsman". On November 30th, 1934, running a light test train, he became the first steam locomotive to be officially recorded at 100 mph and earned a place in the land speed record for railed vehicles; the publicity-conscious LNER made much of the fact. On August 22nd, 1928, there appeared an improved version of this Pacific type classified A3; older A1 locomotives were later rebuilt to conform. On April 25th, 1945, A1 class locomotives not yet rebuilt were reclassified A10 in order to make way for newer Thompson and Peppercorn Pacifics. This included Flying Scotsman, which emerged from Doncaster works on January 4th, 1947 as an A3 having received a boiler with a long "banjo" dome of the type it carries today. By this time he had become renumbered as 103 in Edward Thompson's comprehensive renumbering scheme for the LNER, then 60103 from January 1st, 1948 on the nationalisation of the railways when all the LNER locomotive numbers were prefixed with 60000. Between June 5th, 1950 to July 4th, 1954 and December 26th, 1954 to September 1st, 1957, under British Railways ownership, he was allocated to Leicester Central Shed on the Great Central, running Nottingham Victoria to London Marylebone services via Leicester Central and hauled one of the last services on that line before its closure. All A3 Pacifics were subsequently fitted with a double Kylchap chimney to improve performance and economy. This caused soft exhaust and smoke drift that tended to obscure the driver's forward vision; the remedy was found in the German-type smoke deflectors fitted from 1960, which somewhat changed his appearance but successfully solved the problem. Gallery TenderEngines.png|Flying Scotsman in the television series Merchandise Gallery WoodenRailwayFlyingScotsman.jpg|1999 Wooden Railway WoodenRailwayFlyingScotsman2013Prototype.png|2013 Wooden Railway Prototype WoodenRailwayFlyingScotsman2013.jpg|2013 Wooden Railway FlyingScotsmanTradingCard.png|Trading Card Category:Tender engines Category:Thomas and Friends characters Category:Male characters Category:Characters Category:Films, TV Shows And Wildlife Wiki